Weaker Vessels

As the play begins (I, i), Capulet’s servants, Samson and Gregory, take joy in disparaging the Montague family and insult them as they speak of “taking the wall,” which means to walk on the inside of the sidewalk, a position usually reserved for women:

SAMPSON: A dog of that house shall move me to stand! I will
take the wall of any man or maid of Montague’s.

GREGORY: That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.

SAMPSON: ‘Tis true, and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,
are ever thrust to the wall; therefore I will push
Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids
to the wall.

Sampson’s identification of women as “the weaker vessels” comes directly from 1 PETER 3:7, which is a word to husbands, “… dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” It should be noted that Peter is not labeling women as somehow inferior to men in any way, but rather is acknowledging that wives are usually physically weaker than their husbands and are deserving and worthy of protection.